World Number Ones

Palau Sc/SG 1-4 issued 10th March 1983. Formerly part of the US Trust Territory in the Pacific, Palau became an autonomous republic in January 1981. It continued to use US stamps until this first issue in 1983. ( First Issues Collectors Club)

Slovenia Italian Occupation Sc N1/ SG #1 issued 1941. Italian occupation during the 2nd World War. When Italy ended hostilities, Germany took control of the area.

Aruba SG #1/Sc #18 issued 1986. Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten; the citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals

This is also No. 1 for Michel and NVPH.

This is the first set of stamps issued by Equatorial Guinea (Sc# 1-3). It was issued on the day of their independence, October 12, 1968. They are produced by the Photogravure method, are unwatermarked with a perforation of 13. Printed by the F.N.M.T., (Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre) in Madrid, Spain.



Equatorial Guinea was the result of two Spanish provinces, Fernando Po and Rio Muni, uniting to form the independent Republic of Equatorial Guinea, officially called "República de Guinea Ecuatorial". It was ruled by President for life Francisco Macías Nguema, whose image is found on the countries second stamp issue. He ran perhaps the most violent, corrupt and despicable regime in history. He was overthrown in a coup in 1979 by his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who has served as the country's president since. He was little improvement over his uncle.

This is the first stamp, in a set of three stamps issued by Namibia (Sc# 1). It was issued on the day that South West Africa formally obtained independence from South Africa, as the Republic of Namibia on 21 March 1990.



Southwest Africa / Namibia's history is a terribly sad one beginning in 1884 when the German Empire established rule over most of the territory, forming a colony known as German South West Africa. The German military perpetrated a genocide against the Herero and Nama people. German rule ended during World War I and South Africa was granted the territory as a Mandate by the United Nations. They imposed their laws, including racial classifications and rules and rolled out Apartheid in 1948. Southwest Africa became a centre of conflict, not only in terms of South Africa quelling independence movements, but also a "frontline state" and a "Cold War" area of conflict.

Pictured in the stamp is Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005, ending in a peaceful and democratic transition.

Namibia, like Botswana, are two Africa countries that have transitioned well from colonialism into vibrant democracies. Their stamp issuing policies are, and continue to be conservative with only a few new series issued each year. In general, their stamps are very attractive. I encourage anyone here to start a side-line collection of either of these two countries.

Yes, the question is where do you stop? This is an individual decision.  I have not finished Morocco since it was complicated. My approach was to focus on stamps USED in a region regardless of whether they were locally produced or from external like in occupations, mandates, colonies, etc. i

Have they misspelled the country's name? Isn't there a K missing from the middle, or do they have multiple spellings?

Kevin in London

Looks like a spelling error to me too and this is confirmed on Stampworld.

Daniel

Turkmenistan Sc/SG #1 issued 26th April 1992. Formerly a republic of the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan declared its independence in 1991. Turkmenistan's first issue was a single stamp in April 1992, with the rest of the ‘set’ following in August.

Tajikistan Sc/SG #1 issued 20th May 1992. On 9 September 1991, Tajikistan declared itself an independent sovereign nation as the Soviet Union was disintegrating. A civil war was fought almost immediately after independence, lasting from 1992 to 1997.

During WW2, in 1941, Bulgaria occupied part of Yugoslav Macedonia and Bulgarian stamps were subsequently used. In 1944, German troops briefly occupied the area and declared its independence. Overprinted Bulgarian stamps were issued. SG #1.

Kosovo SG #118 (Sc #114) issued 2009. Gibbons begins with this 2009 issue, SG118, numbering from the 1913 Kingdom issues. Scott started numbering after the United Nations Interim Administration Mission (U.N.M.I.K.) issues.